Wheat State Whirlwind plans Kansas expedition

Annual tour visits historic, cultural, geographic sites

This year’s Wheat State Whirlwind bus tour, May 21 and May 24 through 28, will live up to its name with stops in communities across Kansas.

Three dozen KU faculty and staff members will spend six days touring cultural, historic, economic and geographic sites of interest from Atchison to Liberal—360 miles as the crow flies.

Sponsored by the chancellor’s office, the tour began in 1997 as a way to introduce faculty new to Kansas to the people and terrain of their new home state. The tour also offers new KU faculty opportunities to meet faculty from other departments. The tour took a hiatus in 2003 but is back this year by popular demand.

A reception for tour participants will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, at the chancellor’s residence.

Visit the Wheat State Whirlwind Web site, www.wheatstate.ku.edu.

Wheat State Whirlwind 2004 itinerary:
May 21
The tour will visit the Kansas Speedway, Leavenworth and Atchison.
May 24
The tour will visit Topeka, Emporia, Scott and Carol Ritchie’s ranch near Cottonwood Falls, Sedan and Winfield.
May 25
The tour will visit Harper, Medicine Lodge, Mullinville, Meade and Liberal.
May 26
The tour will visit Garden City, the Duff Ranch in Logan County, Montezuma, Oakley and Colby.
May 27
The tour will visit Nicodemus, Palco, Plainville, Hays and Ross and Marianna Beach’s ranch near Hays.
May 28
The tour will visit Wilson Lake, Lucas, Marquette, Lindsborg and Salina.